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Scientific Culture and Public Education

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Abstract

Current science and science-friendlyphilosophy jointly yield a picture of the world andourselves in it that is more substantial, detailed andcoherent than any other produced before by naturalphilosophy. When carefully formulated this pictureprovides us with: (a) an unprecedentedly reliablerepresentation of vast regions of the natural world;and (b) a non-arbitrary public framework forunderstanding and furthering important areas of publicconcern. This paper comments on the cultural andeducational significance of this picture. Influentialarguments against granting a privileged role toserious science on the basis of differentialcredibility are examined and found wanting. Thisresult is then folded into an analysis of thesignificance of scientific thought and practice for acautious conception of the goals and methods of publiceducation.

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Cordero, A. Scientific Culture and Public Education. Science & Education 10, 71–83 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008764626622

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